Northeastern University station (signed as Northeastern) is a surface-level
trolley stop on the
MBTA Green Line
The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway ...
. It is located in a dedicated median along Huntington Avenue in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, between Opera Place and Forsyth Street, and is adjacent to the Krentzman Quad on the campus of
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
. It is the first surface-level stop going outbound along the
Green Line E branch
The E branch (also referred to as the Huntington Avenue branch, or formerly as the Arborway Line) is a light rail line in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Auth ...
; trolleys rise from a portal located between Opera Place and Gainsborough Street and continue along the surface down
Huntington Avenue
Huntington Avenue is a secondary thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, beginning at Copley Square, and continuing west through the Back Bay, Fenway, Longwood, and Mission Hill neighborhoods. Huntington Avenue is signed as Route 9 ...
towards
Mission Hill.
History
Until the completion of the
Huntington Avenue subway
The E branch (also referred to as the Huntington Avenue branch, or formerly as the Arborway Line) is a light rail line in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Auth ...
from to a portal near Opera Place on February 16, 1941, streetcars ran on the surface from the Boylston Street portal. With the completion of the tunnel, Opera Place became an important
short turn
In public transport, a short turn, short working or turn-back is an earlier terminus on a bus or rail line that is used on some scheduled trips that do not operate along the full length of the route.
Short turns are practical in scheduling when t ...
location; a siding was constructed adjacent to the inbound track.
On May 21, 1947, the
Boston Elevated Railway
The Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) was a streetcar and rapid transit railroad operated on, above, and below, the streets of Boston, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. Founded in 1894, it eventually acquired the West End Street Railwa ...
board voted to change the name from Opera Place to Northeastern University to reflect the growth of the adjacent
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
.
The stop was named on maps as early as the 1951, while most other surface stops did not appear separately until around 1990.
Like other surface stops on the median-reservation section of the line, Northeastern University station had bare asphalt platforms. In 1972, the MBTA began planning a reconstruction of that section of the line, then scheduled for 1973–74. The Northeastern siding was to be moved into the reservation, with a footbridge installed near the station for students. The work (minus the footbridge) were eventually done in 1980, when the line was closed to modify the track and wires for the new LRVs. The line was cut back to Symphony on March 21, 1980; it was re-extended to Northeastern (using LRVs) on June 21 and Brigham Circle on September 20.
The platforms at Northeastern were lengthened and paved with brick.
In the early 2000s, the MBTA modified key surface stops with raised platforms for
accessibility
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
as part of the
Light Rail Accessibility Program. The platforms at Northeastern were lengthened to Forsyth Street and repaved with concrete; temporary platforms northeast of Opera Place were used during the renovations. That renovation — part of a $32 million modification of thirteen B, C, and E branch stations — was completed on May 26, 2003.
On August 23, 2004, a Type 8
Breda
Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...
low-floor LRV derailed at the station, causing scarring in the outbound platform near the pedestrian crossing on the Opera Place side of the station.
References
External links
MBTA - Northeastern University*Google Maps Street View
Opera Place entranceForsyth Street entrance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Northeastern University (Mbta Station)
Green Line (MBTA) stations
Railway stations in Boston
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1941
Northeastern University
Railway stations in Massachusetts at university and college campuses